


Let Me Die in Peace

by msMynx



Category: Captain America (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern: No Powers, Fluff, HolidayStoki, HolidayStoking, M/M, Sickfic, stokiweek2016
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-06
Updated: 2016-07-06
Packaged: 2018-07-21 23:52:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,276
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7410115
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/msMynx/pseuds/msMynx
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Steve looked in the living room.  There was an assortment of paperwork, stickers and marking pens on the coffee table, as well as what looked to be a half drunk cup of tea and a small plate of the Thai noodles he was currently munching on. Smiling, Steve began to sort through the sprawl before a series of coughs caught his attention. </p><p>“Loki, why are you huddled on the loveseat?” he asked, trying to maneuver more blankets from the tangled mass to the floor.</p><p>Loki moaned.  “Just leave me here to die in peace.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	Let Me Die in Peace

**Author's Note:**

> Many thanks to the wonderful [ Arya_Greenleaf ](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Arya_Greenleaf) for her wonderful beta efforts. This would not have happened if Arya hadn't encouraged me. You are an absolute doll!

It was late when Steve returned home from the gallery. It had been one of those nights he couldn’t get people to give him five minutes to breathe much less check in at home. Everyone had an opinion about his newest collection right down to the best way to display it and they all wanted to talk directly to the artist.  While it was good for the gallery, and his pocket, it did make for late evenings like this. 

Steve dropped his satchel and keys in the kitchen, grabbing a box of leftover take-out from the fridge. It was mostly there; must have been something Loki recently ordered. 

“Lo?” he called out, heading towards the living room.  “You home, baby?”

Steve looked in the living room.  There was an assortment of paperwork, stickers and marking pens on the coffee table, as well as what looked to be a half drunk cup of tea and a small plate of the Thai noodles he was currently munching on. Smiling, Steve began to sort through the sprawl before a series of coughs caught his attention.

Turning, Steve looked at what appeared to be a hefty pile of blankets on the loveseat.  Once the coughing subsided, he heard a faint groan.  Moving a few of the blankets aside, Steve managed to uncover at least part of his boyfriend.  

“Loki, why are you huddled on the loveseat?” he asked, trying to maneuver more blankets from the tangled mass to the floor.

Loki moaned.  “Just leave me here to die in peace.”

Steve snickered. “You’re not dying, Lo.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure,” came a pained reply. “I think I’m dying.” Loki abruptly sat up and started coughing again, wrapping his arms around himself. The dry hack really was alarming, so Steve grabbed the tea from the table.  

“Here, why don’t you take a sip of this and see if that helps.” Taking the mug, Loki hazarded a few sips before setting it down and leaning heavily against Steve.  Steve frowned as he kissed his partner’s forehead because he did feel warmer than normal.

“When did you start feeling bad, babe?” he asked, wrapping a blanket around Loki’s shoulders again.

“Mmm, yesterday afternoon.  I started to feel really sore and achy, and that lovely cough you just witnessed came on a few hours ago. Even my hair hurts.”

“What?” Steve asked incredulously.

“I have a cough that hurts my ribs. I’m tired, sore and my hair hurts. I blame Thor.” Loki said, turning his head to cough again.

Steve chuckled while trying to reposition them more comfortably together amongst the blankets on the loveseat.

“Lo, you can’t blame Thor. You haven’t seen him in two weeks.  Maybe it’s the rugrats you teach.”

Loki coughed again.  Each time he coughed seemed harder than the last.  “Two weeks is just enough time for diseases to incubate.  And my kids are too smart to give me anything.  I still blame Thor.”

Steve kissed his forehead. “Okay, you are a little warm. Here, sit up for a bit and I’ll get you something cold to drink.”

Standing, Steve walked to the kitchen and filled a glass with cold water. He stopped in the bathroom on the way back and picked up the first aid kit. 

“Here,” he said. “Let me take your temperature, then you can take a sip of this.”

“No, I’m dying,” Loki protested. “I shouldn’t have to have my temperature taken when I’m dying. Steven, don’t put that thing in –”

Steve popped the thermometer in his mouth. Loki just glared at him.

Normally, Loki glaring at him was not something to be taken lightly. Whether Loki liked it or not, his eyes showed everything going on inside. When he was happy, the light shined in them, making the jewel tones dance and sparkle; when his passions were ignited, they seemed to turn shamrock with flecks of gold in them.  When he was angry, they’d darken to almost pine, smoldering and intense.

Right then – those eyes were a dull moss. 

The red rims made him look as though he’d been crying when Steve knew with almost 100% certainty that he hadn’t. Attempting a death glare, Loki’s usually sharp gaze was cloudy and muted. But ever Loki, he still managed to make his displeasure known, giving Steve a one fingered salute.

“Right back at you.” Luckily, the thermometer beeped, and Steve took it to read.  “Okay, let’s see… Yep, 100.1 – that’s definitely sick.”  Steve started to pull the rest of the blankets from Loki’s nest. “Let’s get you into some comfy clothes and into bed.”

Loki began to whine and pulled the blankets over himself again. “No, moving hurts, clothing hurts. I just want to lay here and die.”

Steve sighed, moving the top most blankets back to the floor.

“Lo, would it help if I carried you to bed and got you some of my sweats? The really soft pair you like?” An interested grunt came from the pile. “And maybe,” Steve added, pulling the last blanket back and exposing Loki’s face, “I can make you that honey tea you made me the last time I was sick. Would that help?”

Steve could see the debate going on behind Loki’s eyes. Loki hated being weak and being sick felt like a definitive show of weakness. Ultimately, the thought of being pampered wins out and Loki let out a whimper and relented. Gingerly, Steve boosted the other man from the loveseat, kissing his temple.

“Let’s get you to bed then.”

\----------

Steve woke up suddenly and looked around, slightly disoriented. From the faint glow around the windows, he could tell it was still just barely morning and far earlier than he needed to be awake. However, he couldn’t think of what woke him up.  He was about to stretch back out to sleep when he realized Loki wasn’t in the bed next to him.  Then he heard the sound of coughing and remembered how sick his usual bedmate had been the night before.

Muttering to himself, Steve got up, threw on a shirt, and walked into the living room.  As he stood in the entry way, Steve had to shake his head, a small smile making its way across his face at the sight of Loki wrapped like a burrito in the old leather recliner.

The coffee table was covered with papers, marked in Loki’s green ink, with comments on a majority of them.  It looked like he managed to get through quite a few more papers before succumbing to his body’s need for sleep.  Steve chuckled as he crossed the room and gathered the papers into three piles before going to move the man himself. However, when he put his hand on Loki’s shoulder, he immediately pulled it back off and took a good look at him.

Loki’s normally porcelain features were flushed, the high blush across his cheeks and forehead making the sweat accumulating there stand out. His breathing was shallow, as though he had strenuously exerted himself and wasn’t just sleeping.  Steve pulled some of the blankets from around Loki’s head, frowning slightly as he felt the heat radiating off his skin. Loki’s eyes fluttered open at the movement, and his head lolled a bit before his gaze settled on Steve. 

“Hey, you’re up,” he rasped.  “I’m sorry if I woke you.” He coughed lightly to clear his throat.

“Aw babe, no, you didn’t wake me up.  I just got up and found you here.  I’m going to get you into the doctor today.”

“I’m sorry,” Loki mumbled. “I don’t mean to be a burden.”

Steve cupped Loki’s face in his hand and kissed his forehead. 

“You are not a burden love. We just need to get you to the doctor and see about getting you better.”

Loki started coughing again, shrugging the blankets off of himself and practically doubling over from the effort. Steve hurried to grab him a bottle of water from the kitchen. 

“I don’t wanna see the doctor.  I’m cold. I just wanna bundle back up and to go back to bed.” Loki pushed his sweaty hair out of his face and collapsed back into the chair, breathing heavily. Steve put the cold water bottle against Loki’s neck. At contact, Loki moaned softly and leaned into the coolness.  “Feels good.”

“Okay, babe, if that feels good, we need to get you to the doctor. You’re too hot,” he began.

“Hot damn” Loki muttered, giggling to himself. Steve sighed, wondering how even in his feverish state, his boyfriend could still sass him.

“Okay, Bruno. First the doctor, then bed. And you don’t even have to get dressed.”

\-----------

The two sat in the exam room, waiting for the on-call doctor to get back to them. At least, Steve sat. Loki was stretched out on the examination table, still in his pajamas and slippers, wrapped in Steve’s sweatshirt, his head pillowed on Steve’s lap.  Steve could feel him shivering and tried to comfort him, running his fingers through Loki’s hair while they waited. 

“I’m sorry.” It took Steve a moment before he realized the half mumbled apology came from his lap.

“Hmm?”

“I’m sorry.”

“Hey, you’ve got nothing to be sorry for. You can’t help getting sick.”

“You shouldn’t have to deal with this. I should have just gone to my mother’s when I started feeling so… blah.” Loki said, motioning to himself.

Steve scoffed. “Lo, if you weren’t home when I got there, I would have gone to find you and brought you back, sick or not. You sleep better at home anyway.”

For a few moments, the only sound was Loki coughing while Steve rubbed his back.  Once he was able to take a breath, Loki seemed to settle down for a bit.

“I still wish I wasn’t such a burden.” Steve just caught the whispered confession.

Kissing his head, Steve gently chided him. “You’re not a burden. I love you.” At that, Loki seemed to perk up a bit. Enough to look at Steve and try to smile.

 “Knock, knock!” came a call from the outside the room and sweeping open the curtain, in stepped the on-call doctor assisting them.

“Okay, we have your results here, Mr. Odinson.  It looks like you, my friend, have earned some time off,” the doctor said, waving his lab results.

“Hmm?” Loki mumbled, sitting up from Steve’s lap. “Why, what happened?”

“Well,” the doctor started, looking at her chart again, “it seems you and the flu like each other too much. Enough so you’ve contracted two different strands of it.”

Steve snorted. “Only you would get two strands of the flu.”

“But I got the flu shot…” Loki gaped, looking between the doctor and Steve. 

“Unfortunately, those help prevent, but don’t necessarily stop you from getting the flu. Also, that’s just the tip of the iceberg here.”

Loki took a moment to scrub his face, coughing and wincing at the same time. “Okay, so what’s the rest?” he asked, looking thoroughly exhausted. 

The doctor gave him a concerned look.  “You also have pneumonia, so I’m going to be prescribing you your own pharmacy for the next week or so.”

“Damn.”

\----------

“Okay, so the final tally is antibiotics and Tamiflu for the next ten days, cough suppressants, pain meds for your sore ribs and steroids to open your lungs as needed for the next ten days, your regular allergy pills, and a lovely inhaler to take as needed.” Steve held up each container as he listed them off, making sure they had everything the doctor prescribed. “I checked with the pharmacy to make sure nothing interacts with one another and won’t accidently kill you.”

Loki sat propped up in the bed, freshly showered and changed.  The trip to the doctor and pharmacist had tired him out, but a three-hour nap, followed by a shower seemed to help bolster him.

“Ugh, it’s a small pharmacy; and it’s not even the good stuff.” He reached for one of the pill bottles, shaking it slightly.

Steve snorted. “No comment. Here,” He handed a warm mug to Loki. “I made you some tea – lemon ginger with honey. The real honey from the farm, not that bear stuff you hate.” Grimacing, Loki took a sip and hummed, prompting himself to cough again.

“You should get started with your pills.” He began shaking out the required number of pills from each container.  Loki watched him for a moment – the vigilant way Steve re-read the dosing instructions and lined up each pill. Steve seemed to have a better idea of what each medication did than he did.

“You don’t have to coddle me you know.”

Steve paused, looking at him. “I’m not trying to coddle you Loki. You’re sick. I’m trying to be helpful.”

Loki rolled his eyes. “So your way of being helpful is to coddle me? Feed me my pills and wipe my fevered brow?”

“Loki, I know you hate being sick –“

“I should be able to go back to work Tuesday, Wednesday tops.” Loki interrupted. “I don’t need to take two weeks off and ‘get better’. I’ve got a job to do, kids to help pass–” he coughed again, gasping between breaths.

“Lo, stop,” Steve interjected. “I get it. I know. I know you hate this, I know the timing is rotten, but there’s never a good time to get sick. And you said yourself as long as your kids passed that last test, they’d all pass the class. And from what you were doing, it looks like they all passed. _You need rest_ and the quarter is just about over. Let the kids pick on a sub for the next two weeks.”

Loki ran his hands through his hair before scrubbing his face and leaning back in the bed.  

“What if they need something?”

Steve smiled.  “Then the sub will help them. Principal Hill already said she didn’t want to see you back until the doctor gave you the okay, which means you’re out for at least the next week because she said _she_ wouldn’t clear you before then.”

“I know. I’m sorry. I just hate this. Being sick.”

“I know grumpy bunny,” Steve said, settling next to him on the bed. 

Loki turned, one eyebrow raised, glaring at him.  “I am not a grumpy bunny.” Loki erupted in coughs again, Steve sitting patiently next to him.  When he was done, Steve handed him the small pile of pills, kissing his temple.  “Okay, bunny. And that glare would be more effective if you weren’t so cute when you’re sick.”

\-----------

Loki sat in his nest of blankets on the loveseat, half dozing with the television on. He wasn’t sure what he had on, only that it didn’t take a lot of concentration. He’d almost dozed off again when his phone rang.  Stretching, Loki answered.

“Hello,” he said, not bothering to look at the display and promptly coughing.

“Well, I suppose that answers that question.”

“Sorry, Maria. It’s gotten better, but still constant.”

Maria chuckled.  “That’s okay. I wanted to check in and see how you’re doing. I know you said it would probably be a week, but it sounds like it may be longer.”

Loki picked up a cup of tea from the side table, taking a small sip. “I really thought I’d be able to be back at work by this time.”

On the other end, Maria sighed. “Loki, it’s not your fault. Like I told you when we spoke Friday, you aren’t my only teacher that got hit with the flu. I’ve got two other people out. It’s just one of those things that happen. Besides,” she continued, “you’re the only one that was hit with pneumonia as well. And considering the doctor still hasn’t released you…” she trailed off.

Loki coughed again. “I know it’s not my fault, but I still feel pretty lousy about the situation.”

“Don’t feel bad. It’s not the first time something like this has happened, and it won’t be the last time.  At least your class was prepared.”

“That’s because we were ahead of the curve. We were scheduled to have fun and play some games over the next two weeks.”

“Well, I can tell you the kids miss you, but they’ve been great for the sub. How is Steve doing?”

“Thanks. He’s well. Actually, he’s been pretty great, considering I may have been a little – pissy – about being sick.”

“What, you? I can’t even imagine,” Maria deadpanned.  “Look, I’ve got to get to a meeting with a parent, but I wanted to make sure you were still doing okay.”

“Thanks, Maria. I hope to be able to go back next week, but we’ll see what the doctor says.”

After saying goodbye, Loki leaned back with his cup of tea. It was the first day in a week he didn’t feel absolutely drained simply by waking up, and that inspired him to move his nest of blankets back to the living room. Looking back on it, he wasn’t sure if that was the best decision.

Loki glanced at the clock and decided four hours awake was probably his limit. He picked up one of his blankets and returned to the bedroom.

As he settled in bed, he heard the door open and Steve coming in.  Groaning, he tucked his head under the covers. He hadn’t been kidding when he told Maria he’d been pissy all week. Irate was probably a better word for it. And Steve took his irrational moods with more grace than Loki could give himself credit for. He was really going to need to do something for Steve when he felt better.

There was a tap at the door and he heard Steve open it up. For a moment, Loki debated feigning sleep but decided he’d get more sleep soon enough and pulled the covers back.

Steve stood in the doorway. “Hey, you.  How are you feeling?”

“Hey, yourself. A little better today. I actually spent a few hours in the living room, not just in bed.”

“Congratulations. Sounds like something to celebrate.” Steve grinned. “And it just so happens, I have something to help with that right here.”

As he walked into the bedroom, Steve pulled a large manila envelope from around his back. “I stopped off at the school today and Principal Hill asked me to pass this along to you. She thought it might help you feel better.”

Loki frowned as he took the envelope. “I spoke to Maria earlier today. She didn’t mention this.”

“I may have asked her not to say anything to you about it. I know how bad you’ve been feeling about being sick right before the holidays and I had an idea she helped me with.”

Loki opened the envelope and emptied the contents on the bed. Sitting there were a number of letters, cards, and even pictures, all addressed to him. Loki opened the first one and read it, taking a shaky breath as he did so. Finishing the first, he reached for a second, then a third letter. Each one was from his students, telling him they missed seeing him and having Mr. Odinson as their teacher was one of the things they were celebrating this holiday season. He picked up a picture, a pen and ink likeness of himself, and smiled, eyes shining.

“I don’t know how to thank you for this.”

Steve shrugged. “Don’t thank me. The kids wanted to do it. Something about missing their favorite teacher.” He stood by the bed next to Loki. “You okay?”

“I guess this getting sick thing could be worse.  Now get over here and coddle me.”

**Author's Note:**

> 100.1 Fahrenheit - 37.8 Celsius
> 
> I hope you all enjoy this one. Loki's condition is actually based on how sick I was at the beginning of June. Yes, that is the list of meds I was on. And yes, I am finally "mostly" recovered.


End file.
